DIDIER Drogba has claimed the "Chelsea hate" is growing and backed Sir Alex Ferguson's belief that neutrals want Manchester United to win the Premiership title this season.

The Old Trafford boss stated last month that the reigning champions have become so unpopular that even Liverpool fans now want their rivals down the M62 to win the league.

Chelsea have won trophies but few friends under the Roman Abramovich regime. The controversial Jose Mourinho has had millions to spend but has still failed to produce the entertaining football to win over fans away from Stamford Bridge.

And Drogba, the one truly outstanding player in their ranks this season, admitted a tight title race has made his side even more aware of their notoriety as they continue to fight on four fronts. "We feel the anti-Chelsea hate even more today with Manchester United at the top of the table," said the £24million striker.

"For the past two years, everyone has been waiting for Chelsea to run out of steam.

"But I am happy to run out of steam like that - to be second only six points away from the top, qualified in the Champions League, in the final of the League Cup and still in the FA Cup. It really is a difficult time."

The Ivory Coast striker came out strongly in support of Mourinho last month as he blamed boardroom troublemaking for a poor run of results on the pitch.

But since the 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on January 20, Chelsea have won five straight matches in all competitions and Drogba's double against Middlesbrough at the weekend took his tally to 17 goals this season and clear at the top of the Premiership scoring charts.

The Blues remain six points behind United but the forward claimed the recent revival is down to Mourinho's unflinching leadership of the team.

"I still believe we can do it," he said. "Jose was the only one to say so after the two draws at the end of December which put us six points behind Manchester.

"He never doubted it. Without really playing well, we are still in it.

"As for myself, since our amazing qualification for the 2006 World Cup with the Ivory Coast, I never give up."

The Elephants only qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time last year when rivals Cameroon missed a 96th-minute penalty in their final qualifying game.

Now Drogba is determined to achieve another first - win the Champions League with Chelsea.

And he named runaway French league leaders Lyon as serious rivals for the competition which resumes next week.

"I have thought they can win it for two years," said the former Guingamp and Marseille striker.

"Now, to go all the way, they need a little bit of luck that they maybe haven't had in previous years.

But it is going to happen sooner or later. I just hope we will do it before them.

"But our next game in the competition looks like a banana skin. Porto play well and have refound some stability.

"Some of their players have really progressed, such as Ricardo Quaresma or Pepe, their central defender."

The 28-year-old said that after the World Cup last summer he had a month's break from football which allowed him to return to England with a "mental freshness" to tackle this season. The break has certainly worked as Drogba is competing with Old Trafford's Cristiano Ronaldo for the player of the year award.

But he attributes his stunning form this season to another factor. "There was also another sign that made me think that things would go well for me.

It is more personal," he added.

"At the start of the season, I got back my lucky No.11 shirt. It sounds like nothing, but you know all footballers are really superstitious and I took it as a sign.

"And it has proved to be the case. When I learned at the end of last season that Damien Duff, who had the shirt, could be leaving, I elbowed my way to the front of the queue. I really wanted it.

"When he left, I could take back the number I had at Marseille and even Guingamp. It's crazy but it made me feel a lot better."